TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas," 7:32 p.m., ABC. One of the great half-hours in TV history returns. This started with the wonderful Dr. Seuss story. Chuck Jones — the genius behind many Road Runner and Bugs Bunny cartoons — added splendid animation. Then there's the droll narration by Boris Karloff, the extra touch in a classic.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE

"Big Bang Theory," 7 p.m., CBS. It's a night of reruns for CBS — good reruns, fortunately. That starts when the guys get a chance to buy a great movie prop — a time machine. It's a fantasy fan's ideal, but sparks questions: How do you get it up the stairs? And what do hot girls like Penny think of guys with sci-fi toys?

OF NOTE

"Mom's Cooking" debut, 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., Lifetime. In each episode, a mom passes down a favorite recipes. It's TV at its most basic, with lots of repetition, but pleasant enough.

"Dr. Seuss on the Loose" (7 p.m.), "The Hoober-Bloob Highway" (7:30 p.m.) and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000), 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., all ABC Family. This cable channel launches its "25 Days of Christmas" with a Seuss spree. The first two are cartoons, the third a live-action movie with Jim Carrey. We'd still suggest switching to the animated "Grinch."

"Chuck," 7 p.m., NBC. Everyone feels betrayed. Chuck's old girlfriend turned out to be evil; so did Casey's mentor.

"Shrek the Halls," 7 p.m., ABC. With no background in holiday traditions, Shrek does his best. The result is a fairly good animated special.

"Britz" conclusion, 3 p.m., repeats at 5:30 and 8, BBC America (Oceanic Digital Channel 341). The first half of this miniseries traced a British Muslim until he discovered his sister with a bomb. Now we step back and see the story from her view. The result is fierce and devastating.

"Heroes," 8 p.m., NBC. Forces battle and Claire struggles to survive. Also, Ando and others try to nudge Hiro's memory with the help of the "9th Wonders" comic books.

"Samantha Who?" 8:02 p.m. and 8:31 p.m., ABC. In the first episode, Samantha tries to pretend she's environmentally friendly to impress a guy (James Tupper). In the second, the women go on vacation.